Word Play Week #2

Week #2 of Word Play:

Surreptitious

Not sure what this is about go here -> WordPlay

Good luck :) Can't wait to see what you come up with on Thursday!

Flickr Group

Featured Artisan: RememberWynn

This featured Artisan is a special one. I actually made a purchase from. So I'm reporting to you as a satisfied customer! Click her avatar below to see her awesome products. I'm sure I'll be getting labels from her eventually.

So what does she do? She specializes in customizing your handmade goods. She laser engraves and cuts her various mediums for advertising, labeling, decorating, and making your stuff look unique. If you look at her Karma there is nothing but good things said about the work she does. I was happy to add to it.

I recall a while back that someone recommended her to the forum of artisans. After that recommendation, I saw many people posting a lot of nice things about her. I asked her a few questions without a purchase ready and she quickly responded, eager to help me.

A while later I was thinking how much I wanted unique buttons. I would go to antique stores and come up empty handed. Then I happened upon her store again and saw her great wooden buttons. What better than a unique button that also advertises the maker? They look so nice. So I ordered the item and she immediately got back to me asking for specifications. I was given the first prototype. I wasn't completely satisfied with how it looked. I asked for some slight changes and she had a new prototype for me within a day or two. The second one was perfect! She shipped ASAP. If there wasn't a string of three snow storms I'm sure it would have gotten to me pretty quick.

Thank you again to RememberWynn! Thanks for your fast replies and great customer service :) I can't way to use my buttons!

Without further ado, here is her work:

She packages them so nicely!

Zeus tried to help me with the photos.

A new look on the shop front!

So my shop was due for a face-lift. I threw together a banner a while back to just take up space. Well, apparently I have the best boyfriend ever. He offered to make me a new one. With his 733t skills he came up with what is now on the top of the blog and my artfire store.

You really should go to my artfire store and take a look. -> A Stitch in Time

Thank you so much, Charlie!!  Btw, tomorrow is also our 1 year anniversary. Wow, time flies and I'm so glad to have spent it with him.

K, I'll stop making you want to vomit and get on to writing my review on a fellow artisan.

Seriously though, isn't he great?

Word Play Week #1 Done!

So the snow has fallen and we've broken our backs to move it around. Life in RI goes on. :)

The word for this week was Blithe. I had fun with this one and I can't wait to see what you have to show me.
This was the definition that inspired me:


blithe [blaɪð]

adj

1. very happy or cheerful

2. heedless; casual and indifferent

When I thought about happy or cheerful, I went with what I've been thinking about a lot lately. Nature. I'm missing the greens but also appreciating the white and grays. I can't wait for spring, but as I mentioned in my last blog, I enjoy the peace. So without further ado here is my drawing that is a bit more than a doodle. Nature with a bit of make-believe makes me happy and cheerful so I have a blithe spirit because of it.
I added this to the Flickr Group. Hope to see yours either here in the comments or in the group, or both! :)

Medium: prisma colored pencils, prisma black marker.

Let it snow...

Yeah, there is a lot of it in RI. You have to inch out of side streets slowly since the mountains on either side obstruct your view.

I really do love the snow though. 

I may whine and complain here and there about the inconvenience, but nothing beats the silence of the streets and your yard because of the way the snow muffles the chaos. 

Its a beautiful and peaceful silence that you usually can't get in the city and suburbia.

I cherish it.

Word Play Week #1

Note: I just wanted to apologize, I'm new to scheduled posts. It didn't work this morning. Darn Blog! Here it is now.

Week #1 of Word Play:

Blithe

Not sure what this is about go here -> WordPlay

Good luck :) Can't wait to see what you come up with on Thursday!

Flickr Group

Word Play - A Weekly Art Project

So as I mentioned I want to start doing a weekly art thingy. Here's the deal. I will be posting the word of inspiration on Monday. From that word you can come up with anything. It could have nothing to do with that word at all. It can be done by those of all ages. Involve the kids if you'd like.

Then of course you're wondering what you should do. Well whatever you want. It could be a simple doodle, a masterpiece, something with colored pencils, a mixed media art journal entry, or whatever your heart desires. I heard macaroni art is all the rage now.

After all that is done, you can then post it on my Flickr group or share at your own venue. If you share elsewhere, leave a comment for all to see. I'd like to see what you come up with. Thursday is the day I'll post mine and share some of yours. Really though, there is no deadline. I'm giving myself one to keep on task.

Charlie named this "Word Play." What do you think of that? So tomorrow, watch for the first word of the project.

Note: This was inspired by Dawn's NaNoJouMo. I will still participate in that, but I want to make a weekly habit.

2011 Goals

I know most people do resolutions, but I have more long term plans rather just one little event. I decided to set goals for the year. I might change my mind or decide that it's not something I'm interested in anymore. We shall see how the year goes. Now on to the list. They are in no particular order.

1. Work on my physical fitness/Improve in roller derby.
• Improve stamina in order to get less tired in a jam. Running and sprints!
• Improve footwork and hitting.
• Go to the gym at least a couple times a week. Bring the workout of the day from Roller Derby Workouts.
2. Make artwork a regular part of my life.
• Start up a weekly word for artjournaling/drawing/doodleing. Make a Flickr group so friends can share in this. Who's in? 
• Post word on Monday and work on Thursday, along with friend's submissions.
3. Improve my Artfire store
• Increase my inventory! 
• Have a nicer banner designed.
• Make and/or Order labels
4. Garden: Preserve and dry the results
5. Become more eco-friendly
• Making my own laundry detergent and dishwashing detergent soon.
• Find more ways to impact less.
6. Make my life more stable
• Live in one state.

So I think six goals is just fine for the year. They are multifaceted and long term. I have a lot of work ahead of me. Nothing too daunting, I don't think. Tomorrow I start going to the gym, next week I'd like to post the first word, various things are in the works for artfire, garden is being planned, and six is in progress. What are your goals this year?

Catching up!

Thank goodness for holidays. I needed another day added onto my vacation. If the boyfriends mom didn't mention the holiday I would have totally went to work this morning. If I had realized earlier that I had today off I would have taken another vacation day for tomorrow and not worked till Thursday. Oh well. Life goes on. 

I'm sitting here on the couch with a huge fluffy kitten curled up next to me. The boyfriend is playing a video game on the computer that is pretty much a hack and slash. I believe he gets to be War (one of the 4 horseman). What a peaceful morning ;)....I mean afternoon at this point.

This week was a great vacation and for the past few days I've been trying to make my online business presence known again. I'm back on Twitter when I can be, I'm checking out blogs again, and I'm connecting with other businesses on Facebook. It's a good feeling.

On the knitting front, I finished knitting the laptop cover for the lovely Joni. I just have to add snaps and some character. I hope she'll love it. I get one of her lovely Goddess Dolls in exchange. After I finished knitting that I also started some wrist warmers like these ones, but in blue. I can't have empty needles. It just feels.....wrong. As soon as I meet up with Rhoda Perdition I can begin our trade. She will be getting a kittyville hat of red and white. I will be getting Surprise Arts from her. I know some pretty talented people. Expect blog features when the trades are finished. I hope to have both finished before the month's end. then I will work solely on shop inventory. Can't wait :)

I think that's all for now in my little corner of the world. A bit more cuddling with the kitten then I guess I have stuff to do. Ew. Till next time, happy creating.

Holy Crap! A new year!

So my life has been overly hectic but in such a good way. Once one more step of it is over I can share all of it. 

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday this year. Mine was busy but thoroughly enjoyed. Now I'm trying to finally finish my art trades so I can close down commissions for a while. I feel like I've been trying to get to that point forever. My goal is before this month is over. I think it's doable. Then my neglected store can fill up.

I hope everyone has been well. I just wanted to check in. Hopefully you'll see more updates from me. :)